Hunter Hess Flashes 'L' After Trump's 'Loser' Remark
Hunter Hess, 27, flashed an 'L' during halfpipe qualifying after President Trump called him a 'real loser' following Hess's Feb. 6 comments about representing the U.S.
Overview
On Feb. 20, Hunter Hess flashed an 'L' at cameras after a qualifying run and finished 10th in the men's freeski halfpipe final at Livigno Snow Park.
On Feb. 6 Hess said representing the United States 'brings up mixed emotions,' and President Donald Trump called him a 'real loser' on social media.
Teammate Alex Ferreira said he stands by Hess, Hess changed his Instagram bio to read 'a real loser,' and Hess said his family helped him through the backlash.
Hess posted an 85.00 in qualifying — a 2.25-point improvement from his first run — and was one of four U.S. freeskier qualifiers for the 12-man final, while his best final score was 58.75.
Hess said he stands by his Feb. 6 remarks, called the criticism 'probably the hardest two weeks of my life,' and said skiing and his family's support helped him get through it.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a partisan provocation by emphasizing Trump's attack and Hess's victimhood. Editorial choices use loaded verbs ("targeted," "lashed out") and labels ("political imbroglio"), foreground Hess's emotional quotes and family threats, and curate teammate support—structuring the narrative to highlight controversy over sporting performance rather than neutral competition coverage.
Sources (9)
FAQ
Hess said representing the United States 'brings up mixed emotions' and 'just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.'
Hess scored 85.00 in qualifying (5th place) and finished 10th in the final with a best score of 58.75 after crashes on his first two runs.
Hess flashed an 'L' sign at cameras after his qualifying run, changed his Instagram bio to 'a real loser,' and stated he stands by his remarks.
Alex Ferreira of the USA won gold, Henry Sildaru of Estonia took silver, and Brendan Mackay of Canada won bronze.
Teammate Alex Ferreira said he stands by Hess, and Hess credited his family and skiing for helping him through the backlash.
History
5 sources